ASN Report 2018

2.4.3  –  Statistics for 2018  • Suppliers In view of the fundamental role played by the suppliers of radioactive sources or devices containing them in the radiation protection of future users (see point 2.4.1), ASN exercises tightened oversight in this field. During 2018, 81 radioactive source distribution license applications or license renewal applications were examined by ASN, and 43 inspections were carried out (all ionising radiation sources combined). • Users Case of radioactive sources In 2018, ASN examined then issued 256 new licenses, 907 license renewals or updates and 176 license cancellations. Graph 6 presents the licenses issued or cancelled in 2018 and trends in this area for the last five years. Once the license is obtained, the licensee can procure radioactive sources. To do this, it collects supply request forms from IRSN, enabling the institute to verify – as part of its duty to keep the inventory of ionising radiation sources up to date – that the orders are in conformity with the licenses of both the user and the supplier. If the order is correct, the transfer is then recorded by IRSN, which notifies the interested parties that delivery can take place. If there is any difficulty, the transfer is not validated and IRSN refers the case to ASN (see box). Case of ionising radiation generators ASN has been responsible for the oversight of these devices since 2002, devices for which numerous administrative compliance actions are required. In 2018, it granted 150 licenses and 289 license renewals for the use of X-ray generators. ASN also issued 435 notification acknowledgements for devices emitting ionising radiation in 2018. A total of 2,333 licenses and 5,005 notification acknowledge­ ments have been delivered for devices emitting ionising radiation since 2002. Graph 7 illustrates this trend over the past five years. Administrative tracking of radioactive sources Articles R. 1333-154, 156 and 157 of the Public Health Code provide for prior registration by IRSN of transfers of radioactive sources and Article R. 1333-158 for administrative tracking of these sources. ASN resolution 2015-DC-0521 of 8 September 2015 relative to the tracking and methods of registering radionuclides in the form of radioactive sources and products or devices containing them details the methods of registering transfers and the rules for tracking radionuclides in the form of radioactive sources. This resolution, applicable as of 1 January 2016, takes into account the existing practice and supplements it as follows by: ཛྷ ཛྷ grading source administrative tracking according to how dangerous the sources are; ཛྷ ཛྷ confirming the non-registration of sources whose activity is below the exemption thresholds; ཛྷ ཛྷ imposing deadlines between the registering of source transfer and the actual transfer; ཛྷ ཛྷ making it an obligation for each source to be accompanied by a “source certificate” indicating all its characteristics and which must be transmitted to IRSN within two months after receiving the source. 242  ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2018 08 – SOURCES OF IONISING RADIATION AND THEIR INDUSTRIAL, VETERINARY AND RESEARCH APPLICATIONS